grace
by DePaolisJessica
Summary: He never thought he would give up on her. /Or, "You only feel for the broken ones," she told him, gesturing to herself. (A sequel to Broken Butterflies)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Ikuinen Kaamos

Christmas break of third year was so incredible and marvelous and _wonderful_. Then it wasn't. Two days in and it was ruined by large, sophisticated men in fancy dress robes and a delicately handwritten letter. Lynette would've thought the handwriting was beautiful had it not been for the words the impressive loops spelled out.

Her father had been outside in the yard for reasons Lynette couldn't remember, so she decided to read the letter. It had just been so pretty and official looking, but the words were cruel and heartbreaking.

_Dead_. Her mother and Lorcan were dead. Lysander was in critical state in St Mungo's. She never remembers getting dressed faster.

They were supposed to go to the Burrow for Christmas dinner. Roxanne and Lynette were going to prank James and Albus and Freddie. Lorcan and Lysander were supposed to get into trouble with Hugo and Lily.

Instead, she ended up sitting in a room in St Mungo's with her eyes swollen. Everyone who was supposed to be at the Burrow was sitting outside the door with her father, who couldn't bear to be in the room. The only people who dared to cross the doorway were James and Roxanne.

So she sat there, December 25th, 2017, between her two best friends for hours, hoping, praying, that her brother would survive.

There's nothing worse than the feeling of hope being ripped from your unscarred chest.

::::::::::::::::

She awoke in St. Mungo's with a pounding head and no idea of when it was or where she was. She guessed it wasn't Hogwarts, where she last remembered being, because it looked like a hospital room, not the hospital wing. It was St. Mungo's, at least, that's what she figured. There really wasn't any other hospital around for witches and wizards.

Why she wasn't just in the hospital wing was beyond her.

_Why she needed to be in either was beyond her._

The last thing she remembered was waking up in James Potter's bed, a boy she hadn't talked to in months.

A pretty healer came into the room a while later.

"Oh, your awake," her heels clacked. What kind of healer wears heels? Lynette just raised her eyebrows. Obviously she was awake. "Do you remember how you got here?"

Lynette shook her head. "Where is here, anyway?" She asked, having to be sure.

"St. Mungo's," the nurse answered. At least Lynette now knew where she was.

"What day is it?" She asked quietly. How could she not know?

"January fifth," the healer answered, questioningly. "Do you know what your name is?"

"Lynette Scamander," she said, eyebrows raised. She wasn't that out of it, but did she seem that way?

The healer nodded and left.

::::::::::::::::

"Lysander," she whispered once Roxanne and James left. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm going to talk anyway.

"I need you; Dad needs you. I don't know what I'll do if I lose you, too. Mom and Lorcan are gone, and I'm sure Dad is going to fade away into his own mind. If you leave me, I'm going to fade right along with him. Maybe it's a selfish thing to say, but I can't be on my own. I need you right now...please," she sobbed. "_Please_ don't...leave."

She ended up fading farther than anyone could've guessed.

::::::::::::::::

"You haven't been eating for a very long time now," the pretty healer said bluntly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lynette answered harshly.

"Irregular for the last few years, plus smoking and what seems to be binge drinking," the healer frowned. "I don't know how you've survived all this time." She looked at me expectantly.

"How would I know?" Lynette crossed her arms.

"It's your body, nobody knows it better than you."

Lynette just closed her eyes and laid her head back on the pillow.

::::::::::::::::

Lynette had just gotten back from the loo when she heard the news. She should have never gone. She should've stayed by his side the entire time. What kind of sister was she?

"No," she whispered. "NO!" She screamed. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" She yelled at whoever tried to comfort her in a time of sorrow. Three, she had lost three.

Three more than she should've.

She threw whatever was in her hands at the wall. It hit with a loud bang and a few subsequent shatters, most certainly made of glass. But really, they could just fix everything with magic.

Then again, they couldn't fix her now broken family.

She let whoever the comforter was in and sobbed into their chest.

::::::::::::::::

She woke up the third time in the same bed, sadly. What was she doing in St Mungo's anyway? It was a frustration...not knowing.

"What am I even doing here?" She asked the healer. "You still haven't told me... I don't even know what ward I'm in."

"You're in the psyche ward, Miss Scamander." The psyche ward? What in Merlin's name... "They found you in the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts; you were delirious."

Delirious? The Forbidden Forest? Lynette never ventured there, not even to smoke. She just did it on the opposite side of the Black Lake or behind the Owlery or even out the Astronomy Tower window late at night when no one's awake and she can't sleep. Nobody ever went into the Forbidden Forest, not even the almighty Weasley tribe of cousins.

"You have visitors, by the way," the healer said, her heels clacking as she walked away. Didn't Lynette get a say in whether or not she wanted to see visitors? She guessed people in the psyche ward didn't get a say in many things, their judgement wasn't very good if they were there in the first place.

She pretended to be asleep before whoever it was could come in.

::::::::::::::::

Winter break was over, and she had to go back to Hogwarts, without Lorcan and Lysander. It was as if Hell had filled up her mind.

She'd sat in a compartment by herself, making sure to get on right before the train left, that way, all the Weasleys that were left would already be comfortable in their compartment. But, of course, she passed their compartment on the way to the bathroom.

"Lynette!" She instantly recognized Roxanne's voice, then she was being pulled into a crowded compartment.

"Why aren't you sitting with us?" Roxanne asked, looking confused and hurt and _Lynette did that to her._

Lynette didn't know she could do that to someone.

"I want to be alone right now," she answered honestly. Roxanne just stayed quiet. "Don't take it personally," she added as an afterthought.

But Roxanne took everything personally; it was a flaw of hers.

Lynette turned to James with pleading eyes. Surely, he would understand. He hadn't wanted to talk to anybody when his uncle Charlie died. They were so close, Charlie being like a teenager himself and having all these stories about the mystifying dragons he worked with.

James was so hurt when he found out about the accident. Nobody could even recognize Charlie from all the burns.

"Let her go," James said. "It's obvious that's what she wants."

It sounded harsh to Lynette. _Too harsh._ But she left anyway.

::::::::::::::::

"We should go," a boy's voice said. "You and I both know she won't want to see us."

"You can leave," a girl said, "but just because you've given up, doesn't mean I have."

"I never gave up," the boy said angrily. "I let her go, just like she wanted."

"You were the only one who could ever get near her and somehow you're the one who chose to walk away." Lynette could almost hear the girl raise her eyebrows, that's how well she knew her. "Lynette won't even let me within the length of the Great Hall, and I still haven't stopped trying. It makes no sense."

"You just don't understand, Roxanne." The boy countered weakly.

"What is it exactly that I don't understand, James?" Roxanne asked. Lynette wanted to know, too.

"Nothing," James mumbled. That wouldn't be enough for Roxanne.

"It's obviously more than 'nothing,'" Roxanne mimicked his voice. "So let's hear it." Lynette sure as _hell_ wanted to hear it, considering it was about her.

"I'd rather be in your position than the one I was in, that's all."

"You mean never knowing if she's okay because I can't go near her. What was your position, James? Being near her? I would kill to be near her." Roxanne's voiced raised in volume. Lynette didn't know if she could keep up the sleep charade much longer.

"I'd rather have not known than have saw what I saw. I watched her deteriorate before my very eyes. I watched her _kill herself_ with starvation and smoking. How nice do you think that was?" Somehow, James never sounded angry. His voice was always calm, but his words could still sting like hell.

"You didn't do a damn thing about it though, did you?" A chair squeaked against the floor. Roxanne was in her standing-while-yelling mode. It was something she thought scared people more, when it really didn't. Well, it did scare people, it just wasn't any worse than when she was sitting down. She could scare almost anyone, except James and Lynette. They knew her far too well.

She only used it when she was feeling weak or was crumbling on the inside.

"What was I supposed to do?" James asked, the tiniest bit anger escaping from his mouth. It surprised Lynette, to say the least.

"Something! Anything!" Roxanne half-screamed. "Do you even care anymore?"

"If I didn't care, would she have woken in my bed yesterday morning?" Lynette couldn't believe her ears, she was hoping they had deceived her. Roxanne couldn't know Lynette would willingly go to someone, it would hurt too much that it wasn't Roxanne herself.

"Your bed," Roxanne echoed. Then Lynette heard fading footsteps.

"You can open your eyes now," James said. "Nobody can sleep through Roxanne raising her voice."

Lynette snorted. "Not even me," her voice came out broken, just like her mind.

::::::::::::::::

Lynette was probably the deepest sleeper there ever was, and she knew that. So when Roxanne told her the story of how it took her seven tries to wake her up one morning after a sleepover, it wasn't surprising.

All she had to do in the end was scream in frustration.

::::::::::::::::

James got up out of his chair, and walked over to Lynette. She studied his face: his nose was a bit large, but the large, thin-framed glasses he got back when they were twelve made it look a bit smaller. His hair was even messier than usual, which was saying something. His face was a bit blotchy and his eyes were red and swollen and _had he been crying?_

More importantly, were his tears for her?

He stood right over her bed, his hands in his muggle jeans' pockets. His gaze was hard, angry, sad, disappointed. _Disappointed in her._

"Why did you leave me yesterday morning?" He asked.

She didn't answer.

"Lay with me," she said instead.

"Are you going to be gone when I wake up?"

"No."

::::::::::::::::

_The old man stands in the doorway  
Wiping his eyes with soiled sleeve  
He kneels at the foot of the graves  
And touches the time-worn epitaph_  
-Ikuinen Kaamos, "Grace"

***Disclaimer: I don't not own Harry Potter or anything in that magical world, that's all props to JK Rowling. I also don't own any of the songs used in this story, they all go to their respective writers and singers.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Kate Havnevik

"Have a fun time," Lynette's father said before letting her go to the scarlet train with a kiss to the forehead. In public, he made it look like their now two-person family was only sad, never to be truly whole again. But, in reality, they were far passed ripping at the seams.

She gazed at the seemingly perfect Weasley bunch, though no family was perfect. Lynette had been witness to their flaws way back when, no matter how hard she tried to erase the memories.

One person, Roxanne, openly stared back. A second, James, tried his hardest not to. When Roxanne began to make her way over, which made the whole family aware of Lynette's presence, Lynette did what she knew best. She ran.

Hiding in a niche at the back of the train, she couldn't rid her mind of their faces. How the adults all looked so knowing, and how Roxanne looked too desperate. But it was James' searching face that hurt the most. The way he looked so lost, just trying to find a way.

_A way to her._

Lynette saw quite a few Weasleys pass her hide-out toward the beginning of the ride, but it was Dominique who looked directly at her. It was Dominique who stayed in one spot for far too long, head cocked to one side, eyes squinted. She could've asked questions, she could've outed Lynette, but she didn't. After a minute or two, she just walked away.

::::::::::::::::

Dominique Weasley, her flaming red hair, and her doe-like blue eyes weren't a very big part of Lynette's story. Which was a kind of metaphor for Dominique's entire life. Victoire was the perfect first child, and Louis the bad seed. Dominique was the middle child, but she never acted like it. She was forgotten here and there, but Lynette thought she didn't mind, almost as if all she _wanted_ was to be left alone.

It was something Lynette could understand.

::::::::::::::::

Lynette woke up in that little nook, face-to-face with James. His eyes looked bloodshot, his hair mussed.

"You smell like cigarettes and dirt," he told her.

"You told me that already, a few months ago," she replied, tiredly.

"It's been a while," he said. "I thought I'd remind you."

"What do you really want?" She asked, as he helped her up. Her back was in some pain from being in such an awkward position for so long.

"You should change," he told her, not answering her question. "We'll be there soon."

"Don't do this again; I'll only hurt you."

::::::::::::::::

James and Lynette had always had an indescribable connection, even as children. One could know exactly how the other felt without words being spoken, and at one point, they even had their own version of sign language. They always made sure to include Roxanne.

Neither went through the 'cooties' faze because of the other, nor did either ever have a scraped knee go unnoticed. One's pain was the other's, and it was something Luna and Ginny could never get over.

::::::::::::::::

She had four classes with him. Thankfully, they were never partnered nor sat next to each other, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel his stare. She never wore her hair up because his eyes burnt her neck. It was better when she knew what he wanted.

He never looked at her outside of class, which bothered her to no end. What could he possibly want?

The first time she even saw him outside of class and meals was when she was walking out of Honeydukes during their third Hogsmeade trip in late November. He was with Roxanne, standing outside of George's shop. They both looked at her, and Lynette suddenly felt overwhelmingly insecure in her leggings, giant sweater, army boots, and scraggly ponytail. They both had that affect on her.

As usual, Roxanne made her way over the Lynette, but Lynette couldn't move. Her feet felt almost frozen to the ground, and it wasn't until Roxanne was too close that Lynette could run. But Roxanne was too quick and grabbed Lynette's arm.

"Just let me talk," was all Roxanne said. Lynette didn't answer. "I don't know what you're going through, and I know I've said this before, but we can help you."

Lynette just stared over Roxanne's shoulder, at James, not saying a word.

"What did you mean when you wrote 'I can't be her?'"

"I meant," Lynette croaked. "I meant that I can't be who you want me to be. I'm not the little girl that you remember, and I can't be her, not anymore. That is something that you need to get through your thick skull. Stop trying for something that it's obvious you're never going to get. I'm _sick_ of it." Roxanne let go of Lynette's arm, and Lynette took one last look at James before walking away. There was something in his eyes that told her that it wasn't over. It never would be.

::::::::::::::::

Roxanne had always had perseverance, something Lynette was jealous of. Every time Lynette started something, she couldn't finish.

But Roxanne, she could never give up.

::::::::::::::::

Lynette didn't know how long she walked around Hogsmeade after that, all she knew is that it was dark when she got back, and a Prefect gave her detention and took points off her house.

As if she actually gave a _shit_ about her house and their points.

::::::::::::::::

Lynette had never thought that the whole 'House Cup' was a fair thing. Ravenclaw had barely any kids willing to get in trouble, so there was a boost. Slytherins were too sneaky to get caught. Hufflepuffs were too 'loyal' to their Head of House to get in trouble. (If you asked Lynette, they were too scared of their Head of House). Gryffindors were brave enough to get into trouble, so there was a decline.

Then there was Lynette's house, _Dumbledore_. A group of misfits who were too caught in their own minds to gain or lose house points. They never won.

::::::::::::::::

Detention was a usual experience for Lynette because she wasn't very good at doing classwork or being in before curfew. But that particular time, just like seemingly _every other thing in her life that year_, a Weasley was involved.

It was Louis, and as the 'bad child,' Louis had an exceedingly large amount of detentions for a fourth year, so it wasn't surprising he was there. It was just annoying. When she walked in, he just glanced her way, as if he didn't recognize her.

After a while of pretending to clean the trophies, he said her name.

"Lynette?" It was softest she had every heard him speak. "Nettie?" She cringed at his old nickname for her.

"_What_?" She asked harshly.

"I barely recognized you," he said simply. "You look worn-out."

"Maybe I wouldn't be if your damn cousins would just leave me alone."

"Maybe you wouldn't be if you stopped feeling sorry for yourself and let us all back in," he said far too seriously to be the Louis Weasley she knew. "I know you've lost a lot, and maybe you haven't noticed, but being a _bitch_ to everyone who cares isn't going to help you."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you. You're the least likely person to attempt to put me in my place." She seethed.

"Attempt?"

"That little thing you just did, it didn't make me want to let you in. It made me want to walk away." So that's what she did, walked away.

It was what she was best at, afterall.

:::::::::::::::

Louis had always been the person Lynette could turn to for a good laugh. He was never serious, nor judgmental, just a very laid-back and accepting person. It was always a relief for Lynette to see him on an especially bad day. He'd never ask what was wrong, never try get information out of a person He'd just smile and tell a raunchy joke that made Lynette laugh out loud.

::::::::::::::::

"I heard about your little scene in front of the Weasley joke shop," Scorpious said a few days later, sitting next to Lynette on the Quidditch pitch. Scorpious Malfoy was a wanker who played girls like marionettes, but he always had a good supply of fags to sell Lynette.

She needed a good smoke.

"For that," he continued without a reply, for he was used to Lynette's quiet nature, "I will give you three free fags."

Lynette took them with a grateful smile. At the moment Scorpious was seeing Rose Weasley while screwing Naomi Lancaster on the side. Naomi was a Dumbledore in his year, the year below Lynette, and she was a screwed up girl that Lynette could tell was very acquainted with razorblades. Though, Lynette really couldn't judge.

"How's Naomi?" Lynette eventually asked, after smoking a full cigarette.

"Distant," Scorpious said. "I think she's scared of Rose finding out about us."

"I don't get why you don't just dump Rose and date Naomi out in the open."

"Naomi's not ready for a relationship," Scorpious sighed, "and neither am I. Do you think I'd be screwing Naomi if I was ready for that shit."

"Yeah, well, you're just messing up Naomi even more than she already is. Don't tell me you haven't seen the scars." Lynette raised an eyebrow, daring Scorpious to challenge the fact.

"I can't quit her. Even with all her scars and flaws, she intoxicating. With the few caring bones in my body, I wish that she could see that."

Lynette practically laughed out loud, the statement was _so_ raw. Scorpious really did have rarely any emotion. "You only feel for the broken ones," she told him, gesturing to herself. "You've probably never given anyone one free fag before."

He chuckled. "You're right about that one."

::::::::::::::::

Lynette always wondered how Scorpious got the amount of girls he did. Sure, he wasn't an ugly guy, but he wasn't the best looking one around either. He wasn't charming, or in anyway sweet. He was a condescending, emotionless, lying _bastard_.

If only these girls would realize they couldn't change him, no matter how hard they tried.

::::::::::::::::

It was late December when Roxanne got the courage to walk up to Lynette again.

It was Christmas, three years after the day they all had died. Lynette sat at table in the library, hair wild, in jeans and a really loose fitting tank, her bra peaking out the side. She wasn't even wearing shoes, just really thick socks. Her eyes scanned the pages of a particularly long looking book about the type of creatures her mother had loved.

Roxanne had decided to stay at Hogwarts that year, wanting to try something new. She hadn't realized Lynette didn't go home for Christmas anymore.

She watched Lynette for a short while, wondering how the girl could just shut them all out of her life, why James was the only one who could get so close. It didn't take long for Roxanne to realize Lynette was sobbing into the book.

So, Roxanne did what she felt she had to do. She rose out of her chair to walk over and comfort Lynette, but before could Roxanne could get there, Scorpious Malfoy and a girl with very long brunette hair got there first.

::::::::::::::::

Roxanne was very proud of her people skills, the way she could figure out a person with just a cursory glance.

Lynette always took much more than that.

::::::::::::::::

Everyone was celebrating the new year on January third because they had mostly just gotten back from break. Classes didn't start back up again until the fifth.

The biggest party was at the Slytherin common room, and Lynette felt the need to get drunk, so there she was. Making out with what was probably a seventh year Slytherin, she opened her eyes as she came up for air. She saw James' face.

She blinked a few times before the right face came back in view, but then she saw Freddie looking at her from a few feet away. He looked at her sadly. She forgot about his Slytherin girlfriend.

"Are you okay?" The horny book next to her asked, touching her cheek.

She slapped his hand away, sobering up quickly. "No," she said harshly before getting up and trudging out the common room door. She walked up a few flights of stairs before knocking on the Fat Lady's portrait. Gryffindor was also having a party, so she hoped James would be there.

Dominque answered, and didn't saw a word. She really was one of Lynette's favorite people. The common room wasn't too full, so it didn't take long for Lynette to see that James wasn't there. Thankfully, nobody really noticed her presence.

She took a desperate walk up to his room, and knocked on the door, praying he was there. And that he was alone.

A pajama clad, glasses-less, James opened the door, and immediately stepped to the side. Lynette graciously walked in, and gladly noticed they were alone.

"Why are you here?" James asked, not harshly, just curious.

"I don't know," Lynette answered honestly. "I just felt the need to see you."

James walked over to his bed and laid down, not saying another word. Lynette stood awkward for a few seconds, and then walked over to his bed and climbed in. He seemed a bit surprised, but it didn't take long for his body to relax beside hers, and eventually they both drifted to sleep.

::::::::::::::::

James was a calm person, it was what set him apart. He wasn't emotionless, it just took a lot for him to become angry, or overly happy. He was just... James. _Graceful_ James.

Lynette loved that so much about him.

::::::::::::::::

Lynette woke up the next morning to a headache and James' rhythmic breathing. It was almost soothing.

What was she doing? This was a mistake.

She got up and left, not sure of where she was going.

::::::::::::::::

_Nothing comes easily  
Where do I begin?  
Nothing can bring me peace  
I've lost everything  
I just want to feel your embrace_  
-Kate Havnevik, "Grace"

**Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not, nor ever will, own the world of Harry Potter. That's all thanks to the brilliant mind of one JK Rowling.**

**I also do not own any of the songs used in this story. Those all belong to their respective writers and artists.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Jeff Buckley/U2

Lynette woke up alone one January 6, and wasn't exactly happy about that fact. But who was she to be angry? That would be hypocritical after leaving James and ending up there, in the psyche ward, in the first place. Lynette never thought that would be her future, living like that, in an all white room and having no say in anything in her life. She didn't know she was _crazy_. She just thought she was messed up.

Were there other times like the Forbidden Forest where she was in a delirious state?

Yes, in fact, there was. A week after the majority of her family died, she'd ran from her house. The Potters plus Roxanne were coming over, and there was no way she was going to let them see her like that. Messed up. Angry. _Nothing_. She'd woke from her daze on the ground in the woods behind her house. The woods. They were always her sanctuary. Maybe that's why she'd gone to the Forbidden Forest. Maybe she thought, in her delirious state, it was the woods behind her house.

Of course, she doesn't remember either time. All she knew was, James found her the first time, and she had no idea who found her the second.

The nurse comes clacking in.

"Who found me?" Lynette asked.

"Brown haired girl," she responded. "I think her name was Naya. She stayed for hours until a teacher from your school came and forced her to leave."

"Naomi," was Lynette's only response. She didn't know what else to say. Naomi had found her father hanging from the ceiling fan when she was twelve years old. Lynette couldn't imagine Naomi's reaction to seeing her in such a delirious state, physically alive but dead in her mind.

"Yes, that was it. Your school sent a letter this morning saying that she and two other students were coming for a visit. One of them is the boy from last time. Though, this time, I ask not to find him in your bed," she finished, with a knowing smile.

"_Will do_," Lynette responded dryly.

::::::::::::::::

_Dear Lynette,_

_We miss you, even Molly and her stingy attitude. We all know life must be so hard, but that didn't mean you had to pull away from us, we could have helped, still can._

_Lynette, we just want you back. More than anything._

_-Roxanne_

_P.S. James hasn't been the same without you._

::::::::::::::::

Lynette was stuck; she had no idea what to do with herself. She wasn't sleepy anymore, they had taken her off of that potion, and she had another two hours until her visitors arrived. She'd counted the ceiling tiles four times, tried counting the floor tiles, and tried to imagine the people who might have been in this bed before her. A senile man, a sociopath. But thinking of previous patients only returned her mind back to Lysander. **Lysander**_Lysander_Lysander

_Lysander, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm going to talk anyway. I need you; Dad needs you. I don't know what I'll do if I lose you, too. Mom and Lorcan are gone, and I'm sure Dad is going to fade away into his own mind. If you leave me, I'm going to fade right along with him. Maybe it's a selfish thing to say, but I can't be on my own. I need you right now...please. Please don't...leave._

Failing to entertain herself by any means, she stared off into a blank white space for what seemed like the longest two hours of her life.

Well, except for the part where she tried to pull her own hair out, but the nurse quickly administered a calming draught. Then she was bored again.

Only two visitors showed up: Naomi and James. They looked awkward together, like they had just each shared a deep dark secret. Lynette brushed away the thought with the hair on her face.

"Where's my third visitor?" She joked, but it only seemed to tense up the room more. Naomi came to her beside.

"Scorpious was supposed to be here, but...Rose found the two of us," Naomi said softly. "I'm surprised James can stand being in the same room as me."

Lynette turned to James, who had his eyes trained on the floor. She turned back to Naomi. "Can you give James and I minute alone?"

Naomi nodded, rose, and left.

James walked up to Lynette's bedside.

"Don't blame Naomi," she told him. "She's just about as messed up as I am, if not more. That could have been her out there in the forest instead of me, you know. And I know Rose is going to be a huge _twat_, but I need for you to stand up for Naomi when you get the chance because she might not be able to strand up for herself. I _know_ she won't be able to stand up for herself, and I know what she did is wrong, and she knows what she did is wrong, but there's just sometimes when you _can't quit somebody_." She sighed. "Scorpious told me so."

"I'm not angry with her," James said. "I'm angry with that prat."

"Don't be angry with him either, he wasn't brought up with self control."

"Then who should I be angry with?"

"You shouldn't be angry at all," she took both of his hands in hers. "Promise me you'll stand up for her while I'm gone."

"I promise," he said.

"Good, now go get her."

So he did because he thought he would always be at her beck and call, whenever she needed him.

"Naomi, I am so sorry," Lynette said, as soon as the other girl was back at her bedside.

"For what?" Naomi asked.

"For having you see me that way, after everything with your _father_..."

"I'm just glad you were in a better state than he was," Naomi said with a sad smile. James looked genuinely confused, but knew better than to ask questions.

He'd be good for Naomi to have around, Lynette thought.

"I'm not coming back to Hogwarts," Lynette said.

"Why not?" Naomi asked, shocked.

"Once I'm out of here, I'm taking my father and we're going to go live in the muggle world, out of this world."

"Lynette," James said seriously. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you understand, James?" Lynette looked deeply into his eyes. "This was _her_ world, she was as magical as they come, and everything breathes her. Neither my father nor I can be apart of all of this anymore. When I get let out, they'll send me to my house for a little visit with my father, during which I will pack our things and we'll leave for America," she said simply. "And don't either of you dare try and stop me. My mind has been made up." James looked at her furiously, while Naomi just looked sad.

"Merlin," Naomi whispered. "You have got to be the most selfish being I have ever met in my whole life, and I've _fucked_ Scorpious Malfoy."

"What in the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? Do you expect just to stay here?" Lynette asked angrily.

"We don't expect a damn thing from you," Naomi spat. "At least I don't. I've seen your ways Lynette, and they're disgusting. You push everything away that could be so beautiful."

"You don't understand," Lynette pleaded.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND?" Naomi screamed, practically roared. "At least your family didn't want to go! My father willingly left me behind and I still don't push everyone away!" She desperately wiped at her eyes, tears evident, threatening to fall.

"You don't push everyone away," Lynette laughed. "You, the girl who was oh so popular in her first years of Hogwarts, and then BAM! You come back one year and make everybody go away. Face it Naomi, you're exactly like me, just that much more naive."

"Naive?" Naomi questioned. "Naive? How the fuck am I naive?"

"Come on, thinking Scorpious was just going to _leave Rose and be with you_," Lynette raised her eyebrows. "Thinking Rose would never find out. She's a damn Ravenclaw!"

"Merlin, Lynette, I never thought Scorpious would date me for real. If I wanted a relationship from a boy who didn't feel guilt, I wouldn't have screwed him _a week after meeting him!_" Naomi shouted. "I can't believe you!"

"Naomi..." Lynette said sadly. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"I don't give a shit," Naomi cut her off. "I'll wait outside until James is ready to go."

::::::::::::::::

Naomi lived with her older sister, Lacey, seven years older than Naomi, since she found her father postmortem. Her parents had been divorced for one year, her mother already remarried.

Their little sister, Susan, two years Naomi's junior, ended up being the evidence of their mother's infidelity. Her father was her mother's second husband. She was too forgiving to leave their mother.

Naomi had, of course, been the first to find out about the adultery, when she was thirteen. It took her two months to confide in her older sister, and her sister two hours to start a screaming match with their mother at thanksgiving dinner.

::::::::::::::::

"She's right, Lynette," James said solemnly. "You're being selfish, leaving us all behind."

"You act like I was ever going to come back to you guys in the first place," Lynette responded harshly. "You think I wasn't going to just leave this world after Hogwarts."

"You're made of magic. Why would you want that to change?"

"Get out," Lynette said with force. James just stood in place. "Get the _fuck out_."

::::::::::::::::

James was _done_ after that day.

::::::::::::::::

"Why do you still fight for her?" Naomi asked as they walked back to their meeting point. "Why do you still try?"

"I'll tell you what," James said bitterly. "I just gave up after I walked out of that room."

"But why did you try for so long?" Naomi asked.

"Her outer beauty, her grace, made the ugly inside of her invisible to my eyes."

A tear slid down Naomi's cheek as she looked down at the floor.

"She was all I had left," she whispered. "Scorpious won't ever look at me again."

"And he shouldn't," Naomi looked at him, nose and eyebrows scrunched up in an angry glare. "You and Scorpious were like Lynette and I, except we were without sex and actual dialogue. It was exactly what you both needed at one point, but drag it out for too long, and it becomes toxic. It had to end at some point, even if ending it was the hardest thing."

Naomi looked up at James, one eyebrow raised. "Where did that come from?"

"Listen," James said, not answering her question. "Lynette made me promise to look after you, and just because I'm done with her, doesn't mean I'm done with you, too. You can have _me_ now, if you like."

"Thanks," she whispered.

"No problem," James responded. "Just don't sleep in my bed and then run to the Forbidden Forest for refuge from my apparently horrid ways."

"I actually find you quite charming," Naomi said simply.

"Just _quite_?" James teased.

"Well," Naomi thought. "I don't know you enough for it to be more than _quite_, and today wasn't exactly the day for you to show off charm, but what you just said, was the oddest, and deepest, yet most charming thing anyone has ever said to me. And I've been sober while Scorpious Malfoy was high beyond belief."

"That's sad," James laughed. "You need to get out more."

"Says you."

They quieted down when they reached Headmistress McGonagall waiting for them.

::::::::::::::::

The two of them, James and Naomi, together, was Lynette's plan as soon as she saw them walk through the doors of her room.

Why not do one last kind thing?

::::::::::::::::

_There's the moon asking to stay_

_Long enough for the clouds to fly me away_

_Oh, it's my time coming, I'm not afraid, afraid to die_

-Jeff Buckley "Grace"

_Grace makes beauty out of ugly things_

-U2, "Grace"

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the world that comes with it, that's all thanks to JK Rowling. Also, I do not own the songs used in this story, they all belong to their respective songwriters and artists.**

/

This, sadly, is the last chapter. I feel as though Lynette could never have a long story, I don't know. This just felt right.

I'm in the midst of trying to write Naomi her own story, as a sort of sequel to this, but I don't know. Lynette Scamander actually evolved out of a long ago rough draft of a story for Naomi Lancaster, and Broken Butterflies had come about. Then I wasn't satisfied, and Grace came about. There were so many different ideas rolling around my head for how to go about this, but they were all the same story line. Same basis. But now, I'm yet again yearning for more.

Would Naomi be a story anyone was interested in?


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